The Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. John Kumah, has inaugurated the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) and Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) boards.
Speaking at the inauguration, the deputy minister urged the reconstituted board of the PPA to strive for innovation and ensure value for money in the conduct of public procurement services in the country.
For him, sensitivity in the area of procurement in Ghana – with the Auditor General’s report always implicating public procurement deals – has placed an enormous onus not only in ensuring the Authority successfully achieves its mandates as stipulated in the act, but more importantly working assiduously to improve the procurement profession’s image in Ghana.
“The government and people of Ghana expect your tenure as members of the PPA’s governing board to be one that continuously strives for innovation and sustainability in the conduct of procurement through electronic systems such as the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS); and ensuring greater transparency, accountability and achievement of value for money in the conduct of public procurement in Ghana,” he said.
He further emphasised the essential and pivotal role PPA has played in Ghana’s Public Financial Management (PFM) regime since its establishment from the successful outcome of Ghana’s PFM reforms strategy – which culminated in promulgation of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) and its subsequent amendment in 2016 through the Public Procurement (Amendment) Act, 2016 (Act 914).
“The PPA is expected to harmonise the processes of public procurement in the public service to secure a judicious, economic and efficient use of state resources in public procurement; and ensure that public procurement is carried out in a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory, environmentally and socially sustainable manner,” he added.
The new board members are: Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Chairperson; Frank Mante, Diana Asonaba Dapaah, Hayford Amoh, Ernestina Swatson Eshun, Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, Samuel Richard Nee Baidoo, Isaac Kofi Amoah and Patricia Safo.
The deputy minister also inducted new members of the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) to join existing members who are serving their second term.
Dr. Kumah used the opportunity to remind the newly appointed members that their appointment is a call to public service, adding that he is confident they will justify the trust their nominating institutions, the government and people of Ghana have reposed in their diverse expertise and capacity by executing their statutory mandate to ensure citizens benefit from exploitation of the petroleum resource.
“I can say without doubt that the Committee has applied hard work and determination to the execution of its mandate since its establishment, and its work has impacted positively on the management and use of petroleum revenues in Ghana.
Government’s recognition of this is demonstrated not only in ensuring stable financial support to its programmes and providing office accommodation for the Secretariat, but even to the extent that the President Nana Addo was present himself to launch PIAC’s 10th anniversary celebration on 25th March 2021,” he said.
The new members are: Bashiru Abdul-Razak, Osei Kwadwo Addo, Nasir Alfa Mohammed, Prof. Kwame Adom-Frimpong, Clara Beeri Kasser-Tee, and Odeefuo Amoakwa Buadu VII.
